Elevating-truck.



No. 713,746. Patanted Nov. l8,"l902.

E. L. 81. W. H. CADWELL.

ELEVATING TRUCK.

(Application filed Sept. 15, 1902.

(lo Modal.)

WITNESSES.

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EDWARD L. CADYVELL AND WILLIAM H. CADWELL, OF WAYNE, MICHIGAN.

ELEVATlNG-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,746, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed September 15,1902. Serial No. 128, i10. (No model.)

T0 ctZZ 'IUJI/O'HI/ it Uta/y concern:

Beit known that we, EDWARD L. OADWELL and WILLIAM H. OADWELL, citizensof the United States of America,residing at \Vayne, in the county of\Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Elevating-Trucks, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to improvements in trucks or other vehicles havinga verticallymovable platform, and especially to trucks for movingbaggage at railway-stations and for similar purposes.

The object of theinvention is to provide a cheap and efficientconstruction which may be easily and quickly manipulated; and itconsists in providing means for varying the speed according to the loadand in providing asuit-able brake to control the lowering of theplatform.

It also consists in the particular arrangement and combination of partsand in certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter morefully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is ahorizontal section on the line 00 a: of Fig. 2 of a device embodying ourinvention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical sec tion of the same; Fig. 3,an end elevation, and Fig. 4 a detail showing the ratchet and pawl forholding the platform in its elevated position.

A is a rectangularbed orframe, to the lower side of which are securedthe four casterwheels B,one near each corner, and extending verticallyupward from each corner of said frame is a post 0, the pair of posts ateach end being connected by the cross-bars O and O at their upper ends.Extending longitudinally of the frame A and adjacent to the inner sideof the'posts are the two stringers D, to which the planking forming theplatform D are secured, said planking extending beyond said stringersand engaging theinner edges of the posts, so that the platform is guidedin its movement by said posts.

Journaled in suitable bearings on the frame A and extendedlongitudinally thereof at its center is a shaft E, to the extended end Eof which is secured one end of the cables F, which are adapted to bewound thereon, said cables extending upward over the sheaves or pulleysG, which are secured to the cross-bar G and secured at their oppositeends to the extended ends of the stringers by being passed through avertical hole in each. The opposite end E of said shaft is also extendedand similar cables secured thereto to lift the opposite end of theplatform when said shaft is turned to wind said cables thereon: Looselymounted upon the end E of said shaft to move longitudinally thereon is awinding-drum H, which is secured to the shaft to rotate therewith bypins H, which pass through a slot H in the shaft, and secured to astub-shaft I, which is journaled in suitable bearings in the cross-barsC is the winding-drumJ, having the three faces J J J of different diametel-s. A crank-handle K is provided to turn the drum J to wind the cableL thereon, which cable is wound around the drum H and secured thereto atits opposite end, so that when the drum J is turned motion istransmitted by the cable L to the shaft E.

When the platform is heavily loaded, the cable L may be shifted to aface of the drum J of smaller diameter and the drum H movedlongitudinally into alinement with the face used; but when no greatamount of force is required to raise the platform the cable may be woundon the larger face and the work done more rapidly.

To hold the platform in any position to which it may be elevated, aratchet-wheel M is secured on the stub-shaft I, and a weighted pawl M ispivoted to the cross-bar G to engage the ratchet and prevent its turningin one direction.

In lowering the platform it is necessary to retard its movement, so thatit will not strike the frame with great force. This may be done byholding the handle K; but this is difficult to do and requires muchstrength when the platform is heavily loaded, and therefore a brake-barN is provided which extends transversely across beneath the frame A andis hung at its center upon the shaft E by a strap or band N, whichencircles the shaft and forms a friction-band to engage the enlargedportion N of the shaft. The ends of the brake-bar extend beyond thesides of the frame a short distance, so that the operator may place hisfoot thereon at either side of the truck, and thus bring the oppositeend of the bar into contact with the frame to force the hand against theshaft. By this construction the operator is enabled to lift a heavy loadwith ease and despatch and to as easily lower the same Without danger ofbeing injured by the revolving handle or of breaking the truck by thefalling of the loaded platform.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In avehicle of the character described, the combination with a frame, averticallymovable platform, a shaft extending longitudinally of saidframe, pulleys on the frame, cables secured at one end to said shaft andat their opposite ends to the platform and passing over said pulleys,and means for turning said shaft to raise the platform; of

a brake-bar extending on opposite sides of the frame and adapted to beforced into frictional contact with said shaft from either side toretard its rotation.

2. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with aframe, a verticallymovable platform guided by said frame, a longitudinalshaft rotatable in bearings on said frame, pulleys on said frame, andcables passing over said pulleys and secured at one end to said shaftand at the opposite ends to the platform; of a drum on said shaft, adrum having faces of different diameters, a cable secured at its ends tosaid drums and adapted to transmit motion from one to the other, andmeans for rotating the drum having several faces.

3. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame,a vertically-movable platform mounted on said frame, alongitudinally-extendingshaftjournaled in bearings, pulleys on saidframe, and cables extending over said pulleys and secured at their endsto the shaft and platform respectively; of a brake-bar extendingtransversely beneath said frame and beyond the same on opposite sidesand adapted to engage the under side of the frame near its ends, and aband secured to said bar near the middle and embracing the said shaft.

4. The combination with a truck-framehaving vertical corner-posts of avertically-movable platform adapted to be guided by said posts, alongitudinal shaft journaled in bearings upon said frame and having anextended end provided with a slot, pulleys secured to the upper ends ofthe posts, cables passing over said pulleys and secured at one end tothe said shaft and one to each corner of the platform at their oppositeends, a drum on the extended end of the shaft provided With pinsengaging the slot in said end, a stubshaft secured in bearings at theupper end of the posts, a drum having faces of different diameterssecured on said shaft, a cable secured at its ends to said drums andwound upon the same, a crank-handle to turn the stub-shaft, aratchet-wheel on said stub-shaft, and a pawl to engage the ratchet andprevent the stub-shaft from turning.

5. In a truck, the combination of a rectangular frame, posts secured tosaid frame at its corners, cross-bars uniting the posts at each end ofthe frame, a vertically-movable platformguidedbysaidposts,ashaftjournaled in bearings on the lower side of theframe and extending beyond the ends thereof, one end of said shaft beingprovided with a slot, pulleys supported by said cross-bars, cablespassing over said pulleys and secured at their ends to the shaft and tothe'corners of the platform respectively, a Winding-drum on the slottedend of the shaft, pins in the drum projecting into the slot in saidshaft, a stub-shaft journaled in hearings in the cross-bars of theframe, a drum on the stub-shaft having faces of different diameters, acable secured to said drums and adapted to be wound thereon, acrank-handle to turn the drum having the several faces, a ratchet on thestub-shaft, a pawl pivoted to the cross-bar of the frame to engage theratchet, a brake-bar extending transversely beneath the frame andbeyondthe sides thereof, and a band secured to the bar and embracing thelongitudinal shaft.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD L. OADWELL. WILLIAM H. CADWELL.

Witnesses:

OTTO E. BARTHEL, THOMAS G. LONGSTAFF.

